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"Achieving 100% Compliance of Policies and Procedures" is the third book of a four-part series on policies and procedures. This exciting new business book focuses on a subject that fills a major void for those individuals who are responsible for the life cycle of business processes, policies, and procedures. This 359-page book is all about change and continuous quality improvement as it applies to policies and procedures. A real-life case study is used to help explain the principles of this book. The reader is led from a labor-intensive system (procedure, procedure flow chart) through the necessary steps, including a cost-benefit analysis, to accomplish compliance and continuous improvement, resulting in a business process/procedure and a $2 million dollars savings. This book is about improvement and metrics and contains five quality tools for measuring policies and procedures. As the title suggests, the goal is to achieve 100% compliance, or complete acceptance by the customer. While a compliance goal of 100% is ambitious, you'll find the process of achieving the goal is just as important as achieving it. Through plans and goals, you'll increase productivity, profits, and customer satisfaction; as well as minimize process variation, enhance quality, reduce cycle and response time, and help the organization become receptive to change and develop a proactive (forward thinking) outlook. This book is a necessary addition to any procedures writer's reference library as it helps to ensure that the policies and procedures infrastructure remains stable by demonstrating to the reader how to write effective policies and procedures that can be measured, communicated, trained, mentored, audited, and improved. There are more than 75 illustrations, examples, tables, flow charts, and written procedures using the standard writing format introduced in my first book, "Establishing a System of Policies and Procedures." Most readers will find something useful in this book. ... Read more

Reviews (7)

Awesome books!
I bought and used all four of Stephen Page's policy and procedure books. From the very first day, I was able to get up and running on a project that was very demanding and challenging. Not only did he provide examples, but he was always there for advice when I hit a rough spot.

I HIGHLY recommend these books!

Dana Rosenboom

Processes, Procedures, and Quality
I was impressed with the amount of useful information included in this book; everything seems to have been well thought out. It would appear that the author has "lived" his words and this is what makes this make book so useful to me. Because I know that when I implement his ideas that they will probably work. His case study is also very meaningful as he very carefully explains how to go from a labor-intensive procedure and go through process improvement, metrics, and arrive at a streamlined, high cost saving, new procedure.

I have bought all four of his books on procedures and this book is what makes it all worthwhile. Though I found that each book is unique in its own way and that you really need all four to write a good system of policies and procedures.

I would definitely recommend this book. He has a 40-step plan of action at the front of the book that gives you an A to Z approach to the development of any policy or procedure or process. I have printed this list and I keep it tacked on my walls.

Jim T. Armstrong

Good book for quality professionals
Of Steve Page's 4 recent books, I found this one to be the most interesting. It contains all kinds of ideas for projects.

A communication strategy is obviously Steve's speciality. He knows how to use the various methods to the most advantage.

His idea for a compliance plan is a clever take-off on process control plans. He also adapts other quality tools, such as scatter and pareto diagrams to use with documentation. However, you would need another book for more details on the tools themselves.

Auditing is another of Steve's specialties which he shares with his readers.

I wish he had gone into more detail on determining the cost of documentation. He no doubt knows how to calculate it, as best as one can. He gives a detailed example on how a new (purchasing) procedure saved a company money, but not enough on the cost of producing the document itself.

I would definitely recommend this book to all who work with ISO 9000 compliance.

Essential for TQM, ISO 9000 and GMP organizations
Of the three books that the author has published on policies and procedures this one is a masterpiece, and is essential to anyone who works for a company that employ TQM, ISO 9000 or FDA GMP.

Where his first book, Establishing a System of Policies and Procedures, provides a roadmap for new policy writers, this book takes the subject to a much higher level by providing a process that encompasses communications and training strategies, a compliance plan, and continuous improvement. These align seamlessly with ISO 9000, as well as FDA GMPs, and is consistent with the TQM Plan-Do-Check-Act cycle. In addition, the self-assessment and auditing approaches set forth will assure policies and procedures that reflect a mature organization that is focused on quality and continuous improvement.

Among the highlights of the book are the numerous checklists, real-life examples, and an underlying strategy for the development of a comprehensive and complete system of policies and procedures, and a means to assure compliance. I particularly liked Appendix C, Cost of Quality, and the succinct description of tools and techniques in chapter 11.

Another strong point is the complexities of marrying policies and procedures writing with a continuous improvement cycle and auditing are handled in a structured, logical sequence. This is no small feat for a writer, and it is one of the reasons this book is so valuable. This book sets a standard in the field and is one that I'll always recommend to colleagues and clients.

TQM-Based approach to implementing and ensuring compliance
This book is one of the most eye-opening, practical and insightful books I have read in a long time. It's one thing to write effective policies and procedures, it's quite another to implement them, and more difficult still to ensure compliance. The author's approach addresses the implementation and compliance challenges head-on.

The key strength of this book is the continuous improvement approach. I am familiar with the TQM Plan-Do-Check-Act (PDCA) cycle because I use a similar approach called Entry Criteria-Task-Validation-Exit Criteria (ETVX)when I am developing processes that are governed by policies and executed by procedures. What I had not thought of before reading this book was how to best implement and enforce policies and ensure procedure compliance. This book showed me how to superimpose the PDCA or ETVX cycle on communicating, measuring and continually refining policies and procedures by starting with writing policies and procedures that can be measured. I found the 40-step plan provided in this book to be straightforward and easy to manage. Do not let "40 steps" deter you because the steps are small and build upon one another. This is reinforced by a case study that completely illustrates how the 40-step plan is applied to a realistic example.

How to implement your policies and procedures is covered in the chapters on communications and training strategies, which are exhaustive and filled with tips and guidance. These chapters are fleshed out with a chapter on creating a review and communication control plan, which is essential for keeping your policies and procedures up-to-date and ensuring that they are living documents that are meaningful to your organization. Outdated policies are often ignored, which is worse than having no policy at all. Ignored policies undermine authority, which is the foundation of a policy. Outdated procedures can result in technical and cost risks at best and unsafe working conditions at worst. The next chapter on establishing a compliance plan is excellent. It incorporates measurements and validation, and shows how to develop and use the compliance plan. This is augmented by an invaluable chapter on developing self-assessment checklists, and how to evaluate the results of an assessment and how to rectify gaps.

Among the most valuable (to me) chapters in this book were: preparing an organization to be receptive to change (a major implementation barrier), conducting audits (key to compliance assurance), and conducting continuous improvement activities (keeping the policies and procedures relevant and aligned to changing requirements and business imperatives).

The information and approach given in this book will make the difference between policies and procedures that are "shelfware" and those that provide real guidance and are meaningful to an organization. I personally think this is one of the most important books on the topic, and the only one that I have come across that actually shows how to implement them and ensure compliance. ... Read more

Book Description

Now translated into 11 languages! This reader-friendly, icon-rich series is must reading for all managers at every level

All managers, whether brand new to their positions or well established in the corporate heirarchy, can use a little "brushing up" now and then. The skills-based Briefcase Books series is filled with ideas and strategies to help managers become more capable, efficient, effective, and valuable to their corporations.

The Manager's Guide to Effective Meetings is a hands-on guide to planning and conducting meetings that fellow professionals will want to attend. It provides techniques for keeping a meeting focused and on target, reveals latest tools for meeting "virtually," and more. This latest addition to the popular Briefcase Books series will prove invaluable to anyone who has to plan or conduct meetings, in any environment.

Reviews (1)

Amazing results!
When was the last time you had a meeting that was so well organized and efficient that EVERYONE in the room complimented you? Since I started implementing the lessons in The Manager's Guide to Effective Meetings, participants thank me for making sure everyone is prepared (there are tricks to that!), for keeping the meeting moving, and especially for not EVER wasting their time. The use of easy-to-read formatting helps to make this book user friendly and, best of all, the shaded hint boxes with snippets of information make the suggestions, cautions, and concepts easy to remember when it counts most! ... Read more

Book Description

The School Administrator's Complete Letter Book with CD-ROM, Second Edition offers a comprehensive selection of model letters and memos for a wide variety of educational purposes and situations. This book and its accompanying CD contain a gold mine of tested, usable letters and other communiqués, some of which can be used practically word-for-word from the book, while others can be adapted to your specific needs.
The book's letters and memos represent the contributions of more than 60 outstanding school administrators throughout the United States— including superintendents, principals, supervisors, guidance counselors, and others— all of them with well-earned reputations for solid, professional communication.
Many types of letters are included— letters addressed to parents, teachers, students, teacher applicants, other school administrators, businesspeople, and the community at large. In addition, this handy resource is clearly organized, designed for easy use, and filled with the best letters of the best communicators in modern American education. The CD-ROM makes the letters easy to modify to fit your own situations.

... Read more

Book Description

Extreme Facilitation picks up where other books on the topic leave off to present a revolutionary method that helps large, unwieldy, adversarial, and apparently dysfunctional groups achieve consensus and reach objectives on divisive and contentious issues no matter how long the group has been struggling. Throughout the book, expert facilitator Suzanne Ghais shows how extreme facilitation - which puts on the emphasis on creativity, flexibility, and customization - can change how group members interact with one another and how participants view the issues even in the most challenging and exceptionally difficult situations. Extreme Facilitation covers the preparatory phases of the process, including assessment, convening, and contracting. Ghais also offers vital information on process design and tips for handling situations that many facilitators find particularly challenging. ... Read more

Book Description

Based on extensive research and field-testing involving over 40,000 people frommore than 25 cultures, Human Dynamics is a developmental system that demystifies the complexities of individual functioning and interpersonal interaction. It presents a powerful framework for understanding the distinct ways different people process information, learn, communicate, relate, manifest stress, maintain well-being, and develop as human beings. At the heart of Human Dynamics are the three universal principles we all share in different capacities--mental, emotional, and physical--fundamental threads that cross culture, age, race, and gender to unify us all.

As we learn to appreciate our commonalities and differences, we can apply our new understanding in order to elevate team learning, strengthen organizational performance, and communicate more effectively.

Human Dynamics has been adopted internationally by Fortune 500 companies--actual accounts from Intel Corporation and other organizations document how Human Dynamics can optimize business relationships, organizational learning, teamwork, and communication. ... Read more

Reviews (6)

A Proper Examination and Explanation of Human Action
If you have found most personality tests insignificant, unhelpful, or unrevealing, then perhaps this book is for you. Human Dynamics goes into much more depth and provides a greater understanding of human communication and actions than any simple personality test. While people can be placed into certain "dynamics," these dynamics are not nearly as restraining or stereotypical as personality tests tend to be. Rather than explaining one's personality, dynamics explain how groups of people tend to process information, not necessarily how aggressive, passive, or "likeable" they are. This book helped me in terms of personal discovery, and has also helped me understand why it always seemed that so many people "just never seemed to think like me."

Great book
Models to describe human personality are presented. Each model has it unique characteristics, its strengths and weaknesses. Each model will respond most effectively to certain modes of communications. This understanding of the different models presented will help a manager, a teacher, a student or just about anybody to understand themselves and people around them better. This will enable better communication of ideas and thoughts. Students will learn better and managers will be able to communicate more effectively with individuals. The models can be taken up to an organizational level. The applications of this book are far and wide. It is also simply and clearly written.

improving teamwork in your organisation,family & community
the first time that I have found an approach which looks at humans holistically and systemically. It is not a group of personality characteristics describing superficial behaviours, but a way of understanding and recognising internal processes particular to various human dynamics. It therefore goes much deeper than any other personality assessment technique I have seen and because of this can not be reduced to a paper and pencil test. However, the gift this approach brings is that it can be taught to everyday people and can provide access to better relationships and a greater understanding of how to release our judgement of others. A truly life changing book.

A most complete study of human diversity.
It is obvious that Dr. Seagal has worked extremely hard to confirm her research since 1979. Her style of writing is clear, concise and void of jargon. I found the content easy to absorb, understand and apply. Just the heightened awarness of how diverse we are has made a significant difference in how I work and relate to people. I can understand why this work is being applied internationally, especially in business and education.

Excellent insight into personality driven work style
The authors do an outstanding job of clarifying the personality types that one encounters in a work or personal situation and provide methods for effectively communicating with and understanding the strengths and "weaknesses" of each type. The focus of the authors is on the positive aspects of each personality "dynamic" and how to become aware of the type one is dealing with and how to make the most of that interaction. I had the benefit of participating in a group environment , facilitated by instructors specializing in the effects of human dynamics in the workplace, and can say that the concepts in the book matched the reality of the individual personalities that presented themselves in the classroom. The concepts presented in the book have proven useful in improving the way I interact with my family and my co-workers, and has removed a lot of stress I normally encountered in interpersonal communications. A must read for those that can't understand why others don't think and act the way they do ... Read more

Reviews (11)

Deserves a thorough read. Prepare to slow down and reflect.
When this book arrived on my doorstep, I tore into it as I usually do with nonfiction books of great interest: I read the first and last chapters, dove by intuition into various middle points, eyeballed the diagrams, and sighed. No quick read, here. This was going to require full attention, and a willingness on my part to 'walk' with the author through his description of that most familiar and elusive phenomenon, dialogue.

It has been well worth the walk.

Isaacs both knows his stuff and has done his homework. He participated with David Bohm and others in the early dialogue sessions, and remais quite true to the spirit and intent of Bohm's work. He also brings depth of experience with subsequent dialogue work, and breadth of supporting ideas from eclectic sources to his description of the practice of deepened and enriched conversation. Few have experimented with dialogue in as many settings, and few have linked this current practice with as many related disciplines as Isaacs has.

To me, Isaacs presents dialogue as a world view, moreso than a set of conversational skills and techniques, remarkable moments in communication, group pain relief, or organizational change practice (as I feel other authors have done). Yet dialogue may play an important role in all of the above, and he does offer practical examples and approaches to try.

As practitioner, researcher, and occasional critic of dialogue, I appreciated revisiting its deeper roots. I particularly liked the discussion of dialogue and the senses of seeing and hearing. I hadn't thought of listening as geographic, before! Nor had I thought of 'participation' in quite the way he describes. At several points, I found it helpful to stop, put the book down, and think through the implications. (Indeed, I may be a little slow, but even so, I recommend you read this book reflectively!)

I recommend looking over the diagrams in the appendix, pp. 418-420, and keeping finger or handy Amazon.com bookmark there for frequent reference as you read. I discovered them rather late, and wished I'd gotten to them earlier. They provide the map as you follow Isaacs rather deep into the territory.

There are many gems throughout for learning and reflection. Read, reflect, and be enriched!

Communications is so much more than words...
Dialogue; traced to its Greek roots is a flow of meaning, an ability to take many different issues and opinions to a table and create something completely new out of the process. Communication is the center of our culture as human beings, yet we rarely make time for true communication in our society today. As a person that feels as if there is something missing in the conversations I hold in my life and in my career I found this book to be very insightful. I gained an understanding of my frustrations, some skills to apply, and a look at the direction in which I want to go in the future. As it is a complex book that applies to every part of my life (and yours!) I have chosen to simply include a few of my favorite quotes.

"Respect also means honoring people's boundries to the point of protecting them. If you respect someone, you do not intrude. At the same time, if you respect someone, you do not withhold yourself or distance yourself from them. I have heard many people claim they were respecting someone by leaving them alone, when in fact they were simpley distancing themselves from something they did not want to deal with. When we respect someone, we accept that they have thinks to teach us."..."Treat the person next to you as a teacher. What is it that they have to teach you that you do not now know? Listening to them in this way, you discover things that might surprise you."..."Respect is, in this sense, looking for what is highest and best in a person and treating them as a mystery that you can never fully comprehend. They are a part of the whole, and, in a very particular sense, a part of us." - PP 114-117

"Every conversation has its own acoustics. Each one takes place in an environment that has both physical, or external, dimensions as well as internal, or mental and emotional, dimensions. There is, in other words, an invisible architecture to the container. Most such structures are made for discussion, for thinking alone. We have very few designed for thinking together, for dialogue." - P 247

This is my favorite quote in the entire book, I see it in my relationships with the world each and every day: "The Internet can be seen as the attempt of your literate and isolated culture to somehow return to community. People seem to imagine that if we are all digitally connected, then we would all be in touch, and the great malaise of the age - the isolation, pace, disconnection that many of us feel - would be allayed. But so far the digital revolution is giving us connection but not contact"..."one simple touch of a human hand could far exceed all the impact of all the digital libraries in the land." - PP 388-389

A Dialogical Dissection
Isaacs' book is at once highly readable, pleasant, challenging, thorough, and dense. The author brings together theoretical works from physics, linguistics and psychology to assess modern communication problems and how, through dialogue, those problems can be overcome. He also uses many of his own experiences and case studies to show how dialogic approaches have helped resolve serious differences between groups in the private and public sectors. This book not only offers us the opportunity to reflect on our own mindsets and practices, it also provides useful frameworks and strategies for those compelled to help groups resolve differences. As someone seeking leadership positions in education, this book will always be kept close at hand.

Isaacs' describes the four 'pathologies' of thought as abstraction, idolatry, certainty, and violence. When we engage in abstraction we separate the parts from the whole and treat them as if they are separate when, in fact, wholeness (interconnectivity and interrelatedness) is a condition of the parts. Idolatry is a problem 'of memory'. It is the acceptance of 'the false gods or images that we unquestionable accept to guide us in the way we operate, and which blind us to other possibilities'. (p.59) Our certainties limit our capacity to think and reflect. We can't learn when we are certain. Violence refers to our tendency to assert and defend our certainties, our views of the world, at the expense of the thoughts of others. 'Thought that imposes or defends is violent. It applies forces to try to make someone different.' (p.68) What is most interesting about Isaacs' pathologies is that they call into question those habits and ways of thinking that we generally consider to be necessary for self-actualization. Perhaps too many of us have come to be consumed by these pathologies. Perhaps, when people have to work together to resolve dilemmas, these pathologies are at once magnified and amplified creating a context in which truths are subverted and humane change is ultimately averted.

The challenge for individuals and groups is less to dispense with these pathologies than it is to recognize and control them. Here, dialogue serves a necessary social function. The problem is that, for whatever reason, dialogue ('a conversation with a center, not sides', p.19) as a theory is not widely understood, and as a practice is not common to most relationships, public or private. For each pathology of thought Isaacs describes a countervailing principle of dialogue ' participation, unfolding, awareness, and coherence. Dialogue taps these principles as critical resources. They are no less necessary to self-actualization than our pathologies, but perhaps because individualism pervades the western consciousness, they are less apparent. Participation refers to the notion that we are a part of the world and the world is a part of us. Unfolding is 'the gradual process of learning to tell the truth'. (p.63) Awareness is the ability to suspend our certainty. Coherence is the process of seeing oneself in others and others in oneself. We participate when we listen, we unfold through voicing, we become aware by suspending our certainty, and we seek coherence through respect. To each of these principles and practices, Isaacs devotes an entire chapter all written, it would seem, to invite reflection and reading aloud to close friends or colleagues.

So how do we turn all these nourishing ideas into food for change? We develop our ability to understand what is happening as it is happening (our 'predictive intuition'). We seek new patterns of action by speaking about what we know while inquiring into what we don't know (balancing advocacy with inquiry). We learn to identify and discuss the contradictory forces ('structural traps'), which inhibit our ability to seek and act on shared realities. We learn to develop and support cultures that produce energy, possibility, and safety. (I believe that Isaacs uses the term 'container' as a synonym for culture.) Central to the development of such a container are the practices of listening, voicing, suspending, and respecting. In this environment, leaders can help groups navigate through the fields of conversation (there are four) to achieve reflective, if not generative dialogue. Isaacs' description of the four fields of dialogue represents a useful model for anyone interested in analyzing and redirecting their professional or personal conversations. He argues for the importance of dialogue in a democracy and in our organizations (we cannot adapt and change without an open system approach to communication), and he provides practical advice and strategies for cultivating dialogue in our society, and within an organization.

This is a book for anyone seeking personal growth and for any citizen or employee who believes that the quest for a more humane world can be achieved through our collective intelligence, or perhaps more significantly, for anyone who needs to see the potential of authentic communication.

Insightful!
Sometimes the corporate environment is not tranquil. Managers hate workers, workers hate managers and nobody seems to understand or talk to anybody else. Author William Isaacs believes that's because people don't communicate very well. Companies that succeed have made effective, positive communication part of their culture. Dialogue is a two-way street and negative, ineffective dialogue can kill a company's prospects. Isaacs, a corporate consultant with a doctorate in philosophy, uses a very un-businesslike style to convey his ideas. The book is full of parables and company stories, and the whole mood feels more like a literary narrative, instead of a to-the-point business book. ...

Bad take on an interesting subject
I gave up on this book about 50 pages from the end. It seemed like the more I read, the more tedious it became until it felt like masochism to continue. I think a previous reviewer made a definite understatement by saying that this book needs an editor. Quite honestly, I have rarely encountered a book so disorganized as this one. It seems like the author has a hard time telling apart the essential from the superfluous, and so he indulges in endless anectdotes that contain little more than truisms, presents complex concepts with long, drawn-out prose when they could have been more efficiently communicated with tables and graphs, and repeats the same ideas again and again using slightly different wording. I wonder if this book was meant as advertising for the author's services, because otherwise it would have been about a fifth as long and would have suggested procedures and excercises allowing the reader to learn and apply dialogue from his own experience, not the author's. I hope there will be other, more successful attempts to apply David Bohm's and Peter Senge's theories to the field of organizational dialogue. ... Read more

Book Description

About 95 percent of all U.S. clubs, organizations, and governments use Roberts Rules of Order to run their meetings. This easy-to-use guide makes Robert's complex set of parliamentary procedures simple to understand and apply. From assembling a quorum and establishing an agenda to making motions, nominating and electing officers, and setting up committees, it shows ordinary people how to navigate parliamentary formalities, manage or participate effectively in a meeting, and get things done.

C. Alan Jennings (Baton Rouge, LA) is a Professional Registered Parliamentarian (PRP) and a member of the American Institute of Parliamentarians who serves as a meeting parliamentarian for a number of local, state, and national organizations. ... Read more

Book Description

Leading a meeting? giving a presentation? Heading a workshop? Icebreakers are great for lightening up the atmosphere at the beginning of a meeting or event, and encouraging everyone to participate fully. This collection of 50 icebreakers is organized around common business situations and is designed to help leaders start every session, meeting, presentation, or workshop with a burst of energy and fun. Includes icebreakers for sales meetings, team building, complete strangers, introducing a topic, staff meetings, groups over 20, outdoor settings, and more. this latest book in the popular Big Book of Business Games series is the most fun yet! ... Read more

Reviews (3)

Inventive but is it practical?
My first observation on this book is that it is focused on the large group not the small group. However, the rationale for some of the large group focus seems to flow entirely from a preoccupation with dividing large groups into smaller groups and then applying tasks or games to these subgroups. If you have never thought about working with groups this book may be of some use, but by and large I judged many of the examples were impractical in terms of the time and resources needed to get deploy them.

My key reservation about these icebreaker books is that they are written more to help the presenter break the ice rather than any presumed intra-audience barriers.

reveiw by hands-on trainer
This book is packed with icebreakers, but I personally wouldn't use most of them. They border on the "touchy-feely" side, and will only work if your audience is open to that type of activity.

Hot Icebreakers
There are so many great ways to get a group started with this book. It's perfect for the people who are inactive and very active. From get-to-know-games to every-day-fun. This book covers business meetings, weekly meetings, workshops, and almost every other type of get-together. The groups sizes go from small to huge. I would definitly recommend this book for any coordinator or leader. Enjoy and have fun! ... Read more

Book Description

Do you spend an abnormal amount of time hiding out in the bathroom or hanging out at the buffet table at social gatherings? Does the thought of striking up a conversation with a stranger make your stomach do flip-flops? Do you sit nervously through job interviews waiting for the other person to speak? Are you a "Nervous Ned" (or "Nervous Nellie") when it comes to networking? Then it's time you mastered The FINE Art of Small Talk.With practical advice and conversation "cheat sheets," The FINE Art of Small Talk will help you learn to feel more comfortable in any type of social situation, from lunch with the boss to an association event to a cocktail party where you don't know a soul.The Fine Art of Small Talk teaches you to:

Start a conversation even when you think you have nothing to say

Avoid foot-in-mouth disease

Stable your shaky knees and dry your sweaty palms

Prevent pregnant pauses and awkward silences

Adopt listening skills that will make you a better conversationalist

Approach social functions with confidence

Feel more at ease at parties, meetings, job interviews, and trade shows

Turn every conversation into an opportunity for success ... Read more

Reviews (40)

Easy and quickly adaptable for social party , dinner
At the same time, I have ordered Debra's tape, I have bought also 7 others books and video, audio tapes from others authors, on the same subject of conversation. Debra's tape , definitely appears to me, easy, confortable, to apply for any occasions to talk to people Her voice is very friendly and warm. I am so glad to have found Debra' audio tape. She gives , not only advice and techniques, but immediate examples of small talk for introducing yourself , with warmness and giving people the chance and the desire to develop conversation with you. Usually, when invited to dinner, or cocktails , or meeting , I go with the apprehension to meet new people , and to be in the situation of nothing to say , and to appear not interesting to be with.The days after listening to Debra's tape, I have the opportunity to apply in a dinner . I was the guest on a table of 12 persons that I did not know. The evening was lovely, because at last I could engage conversation with new people, as if we were friends. I feel much more confortable ,in such short time and I know that with more training with this tape, I will allow myself, for near future, to love meeting new people, as well as to talk friendly with my clients, my hairdresser, old friends... I really recommend this tape to who wishes to leave a positive impression.

Fianlly...help for the conversationally-challenged
The Fine Art of Small Talk is fantastic! Author Debra Fine gives wonderful ideas and tips for starting, maintaining and ending a conversation. The Fine Art of Small Talk is perfect for anyone who's less than completely secure about his or her conversation skills, anyone who wants to overcome feeling awkward or tongue-tied, and especially for anyone who wants to learn to gracefully deal with people who talk to much, offer unsolicited advice, etc., etc. I've found that the tips in the book are perfect for both business and social settings. I can tell that using the advice makes a big difference in how people respond. The Fine Art of Small Talk really has had a positive impact. Be warned, though: you may - as I did - see yourself among the list of the author's "conversation offenders!" Not surprisingly, the book is written in an engaging, conversational style and, in addition to being helpful, is extremely enjoyable.

Rent it! Very clear and crisp advice
The issue is that most us find it difficult to have a small talk specially with strangers.

The conclusion is that if you take the risk (of rejection) and burden of making the small talk, you will reap the benefits.

The examples are good. I like it for the clarity and crispness. I am going to try the advise since it is not too difficult.

Probably the most helpful review...
This book is written by a woman, for women. Being male and reading this book, i quickly saw how useless this book is for me. I am not being sexist so quit mounting your offense, i am simply stating fact. Her lack of knowledge on the male spectrum of this lack of communication skill is obvious. She knows what it's like for women, but cannot speak for men.

A very helpful book
It is a good book because it teaches you the basics for starting a conversation and keep the same going. ... Read more

Book Description

* Provides frameworks and methodology for solving problems as technology continues to advance
* Starts with the overall business problem, and then shows how technology can solve the problem
* Provides an in-depth applied understanding of the technology covered and is targeted to the IT employees who actually build the networks
* Business-oriented, problem-solving approach, including real business case studies stressing the business impact of data communications ... Read more

Reviews (4)

Best Pick
I read the third edition front to back. If the forth edition is anything like the third, you won't be disappointed.

Business Oriented
one of the best books in its field, gives details yet doesn't go deeper than what business students would like, its language is easy yet specific and use network jargons. in short, buy it.

local area network
i want to know more about local area networks

The book is focused on applying the material.
I just finished a course on data communications at a local college. Since I knew absolutely nothing about the topic. I had nowhere to go but up. Mr Goldman's book is very readable and is chock filled with charts, checkoff lists and such that I will use when I get into the IT field. His objective to get the reader to think in terms of applying the material rather than memorizing it. He suceeds. Does he have any other related works out there? I'll buy them. ... Read more

Book Description

A Publication of the Communications Consortium Media Center

This nuts-and-bolts workbook is a tool kit for organizations that want to create successful communications strategies. No matter their size or planning experience, nonprofits can use this guide to enhance their profiles in the media, increase name recognition, boost fundraising, recruit membership, and advance changes in public policy. With a clear mission and the right communications skills, even small volunteer organizations can succeed in designing, planning, and implementing strategic public interest campaigns.

The authors draw from more than fifty years of combined experience in communications and media relations to provide step-by-step guidance on all aspects of campaign development, including detailed checklists, illustrative charts, and sample forms. They show nonprofits as well as public agencies how to:

? Construct a solid strategic communications plan

? Research media trAnds and case studies

? Track public education and awareness

? Select the most appropriate type of media for each campaign

? Utilize new media and technology for increased publicity

? Develop top-quality written materials and engaging releases

? Handle media crises quickly and competently

? Organize staffing and funding resources efficiently

... Read more

Reviews (1)

Quite Useful for Students
The Jossey-Bass Guide to Strategic Communications for Nonprofits is a detailed examination of the relationship between nonprofits and the media. As the title says, it provides a step-by-step guide for nonprofits to establish effective relations with the media that result in publicity. My professor recommended this book to me, and I'm finding it quite useful. It has a similar approach to Guerrilla PR: Wired by Michael Levine; both are about maximizing your return on investment.

I especially enjoyed this book because I'm thinking about working for a nonprofit after graduation, and I haven't seen anywhere near as much about public relations and publicity for nonprofits as I've seen for corporations. ... Read more

Book Description

Practical, authoritative, and the first comprehensive guide to managing every phase of your publication project… The only book devoted exclusively to technical publication project management, Managing Your Documentation Projects arms you with proven strategies and techniques for producing high-quality, extremely usable documentation, while cutting cost and time-to-market. Dr. JoAnn T. Hackos, a top documentation design and project management consultant to major corporations, including IBM and Hewlett-Packard, shares with you the fruit of her more than 15 years of experience in the field. She gives you:

• Clear-cut, rational guidelines to managing every phase of the project from planning and development, through production, distribution, and project evaluation
• Scores of usable templates, checklists, summaries, and forms
• Dozens of real-life case studies and scenarios taken from the author’s extensive experience at top corporations
• Techniques applicable to virtually all fields of documentation

Reviews (22)

Not the Gospel
Joanne Hackos is widely acknowledged as a leading authority on technical publications management, largely because (a) she has some good things to say and (b) her _Managing Your Documentation Projects_ is one of the few books on the topic. This book offers some valuable insights about basic project management, but tries to shoehorn publications project management into a particular software development methodology -- Carnegie-Mellon's Capabilities & Maturity Model. Hackos acknowledges her debt to CMM and warns that trying to implement the model described in this book is tough sledding if the development organization is not using CMM.

After 20 years as a technical writer and publications manager, I've come to believe that all publications lifecycle systems are doomed unless they map directly to the development methodology engineering management supports and uses.

(I've also come to believe that most development methodologies are more often than not honored in the breach.)

If, as a publications manager, you're not aware of the development methodology your engineering managers have adopted, you need to get over and talk to them now. Even if they haven't adopted a formal, academic model, they do have some idea about how they produce technical products. Tailor your publications lifecycle to their lifecycle -- don't seek to impose an alien "order" on their process.

(If your engineering managers can't articulate a methodology or say things like "We just code until we're done", you have bigger worries than your publications lifecycle, such as the near-term viability of your company.)

Too often I've seen tech pubs managers adopt the "Hackos model" and fail because it doesn't fit the organization's development style. A organization that adopts the Rapid Application Development (RAD) or "Extreme Programming" model, for example, isn't going to be too thrilled about endless sign-offs on planning documents that take nearly as long to write as the manual itself.

Instead, tailor your approach toward the high degree of interactivity inherent in such methods -- quick review cycles of small portions of text, for example, instead of waiting for a full draft of the book to be ready.

Too many erstwhile pubs managers skim this book, then adopt the project documents provided as models in the book as "fill-in-the-blank" busywork for their writers.

Tech pubs managers might be better served by learning the basics of project management (especially the interplay between resources, time, and scope) and reviewing the development model of the engineering organization than adopting the CMM-inspired approach Hackos describes in this book.

There is no one-size-fits-all method for producing documentation. And Joanne Hackos would be the first to tell you that.

Great information but difficult to achieve in reality
This book contains many years of compiled wisdom, not only from the people JoAnn bases her Publications Maturity Model on, but the many doc managers she interviewed and her own consulting experiences. The PMM is an ideal model and not one that can be applied across all industries. The book and process is heavily slanted toward software development and that's where it finds its biggest application, but the process breaks down for many industries outside of that arena. Most tech writers are paid to produce documents, not create and refine processes to such detail as suggested by the PMM parameters--but that's not the book's fault--it's the fault of engineering/technically driven organizations that would rather force tech pubs groups to reinvent the wheel with each new project than spend the time creating and fine-tuning a repeatable process.

Perhaps the biggest stumbling block to widespread acceptance/adoption of the PMM is the underlying need of "enlightened" organizations that appreciate (with time, money and resources) and understand the value-add such a process can provide, and those organizations are few and far between. You can have JoAnn's company perform a PMM audit for PMM certification (not sure how much that counts for in the business world--yet), or you can try to be compliant by following the suggestions outlined in the book. But if you're not a software shop, you'll have to make your own adjustments to the PMM requirements and scale appropriately.

All in all, I think the book provides some great direction for a documentation project management process that has to be scaled to meet your business/industry needs. This book has and will continue to serve as a springboard for more discussions and new initiatives in the technical communications field.

A little idealistic.
In the perfect world, this would be THE book to have. Unfortunately, this is anything but a perfect world and this book falls short in dealing with the realities of the profession. There is too little information and guidance for those that don't have a document-centred employer.
Also, the book is purely for those creating user documentation - if you write any technical material (such as requirements, design, UAT, or implmentation documents) this book will be of minimal help. Don't expect any realistic help in dealing with developers either.
Fine book, but only for a narrow field.

Bulky book about the documentation process etc
A thick book which endeavors to fit the whole business of technical documentation between its covers. Surprisingly enough, it is fairly successful. However I found the style surprisingly is abit "talky", and the approach could have been a bit less general and a bit more focused on tips and prticalities. But all in all it provides an interesting read. Especially the project model.

Uniquely Useful
I've been writing tech docs for 20 years. I've implemented bits and pieces of Hackos' techniques everywhere I've worked since the book came out in '94. They always work, as long as (a) you aren't the kind of idiot who prefers to swat every gnat with a jackhammer, and (b) you aren't working with three or more of the following: (1) cowboy coders, (2) clueless engineering managers, (3) marketing people who've stopped taking their meds, and (4) the usual species of techpubs dino who prefers extinction to following *any* process s/he didn't actually invent. Even if you disagree violently with some of her approaches (as I do), you'd have to be mighty ignorant to disagree with all of it. If you're a techpubs newbie, buy it right now. Very soon, you will be managing a doc project on your own, and if you don't have a rabbi somewhere, Ms. Hackos will be your only hope. ... Read more

Book Description

Reviews (11)

Excellent Handbook
As the title implies this is a handbook to be used to supplement another text or for reference when writing. While it is slanted towards technical/business writing, it is an excellent reference for any writer's shelf.

Handbook of Technical Writing
This volume contains sample letters, sentence structure and
grammatical presentations. The singular, plural, subject,
objective and possessive forms are set forth simply with ample
examples. Even proofreader's markings are set forth. The presentation would be extremely valuable for students, writers,
teachers, businesspeople and a wide constituency of the general
public. It is a good value for the price charged.

Teacher & Engineering
This is a useful reference to have on the shelf of the university's library.

Indispensable
As a technical writer, I've found this book to be just that. While it definitely is not a "how to write technical manuals" type of book, the topics and material covered make it well worth having on any writer's bookshelf. And in this latest edition, not only have the editors done another great job, the book's page layout is wonderful. In previous editions, all text and type was in black. In this edition, headings, paragraph titles and diagrams are framed in blue. This seemingly minor change makes the book's material easier to read and refer to.

The book continues to have extensive information about writing-related topics. Everything from proper grammar, to writing reports, to interviewing subject matter experts, how to do Internet research for a writing project, writing newsletters and/or abstracts, interviewing for a job and interviewing a subject matter expert for more information about a subject, writing proposals, and so forth is covered in this book. There's even a companion web site to the book that provides links to online resources for further information.

The book's preface contains what the editors consider their "Five Steps to Successful Writing," and also a "Checklist of the Writing Process," complete with subsections containing listings for (in order) Preparation, Research, Organization, Writing a Draft, and Revision. In fact, a few of the book's numerous entries contain their own "writer's checklist" of things to do. Some subjects have not only a heading, but cross-references to other pages of related topics. For example, if I was interested in learning how to write a proposal, I could go to that listing, and also find reference information on internal and external proposals. There seems to be at times an endless wealth of information about whatever writing topic you are looking for. This book's main strength obviously is how all the book's material is organized.

This is one book every writer should have. Even though it isn't a "how-to-write" book, it's still a "tools for writing" book. I find myself referring to it often when I'm
working on any kind of writing project.

As with past editions, the book's editors have done a wonderful job with this handbook.

Excellent resource
I have the 5th edition of the book and it's one of the better resources I've found for technical writing and general writing.The entries are concise and to the point. ... Read more

Reviews (13)

Practice Being Your Best
This title comes from the great Emerson, who also said, "Who you are speaks so loudly, I can't hear what you say."

It is not just the words that you verbalize, but the way you carry yourself, as well as the interpretation that your interlocutor makes about what you are expressing.

Although this author is a media a political image adviser, his lessons are for everyone.

Think about. Haven't you said something before that you wish you could take back? And hasn't someone said something to you, in words that contradicted their actions? And I'll bet that their actions mean more to you, than their words.

We all throw out symbols of communication, every minute that we are interacting with another person.

And the meaning of that communication really comes down to the response or reaction that we get from those we are talking to.

Read this book to enhance the quality of your life.

This book enhanced how I read people, because it also taught be to be more free to communicate with my subconscious mind.

And the more my self-talk enhanced, the more my social interactions with others became better.

Read this book because you deserve more out of your life.

A must read for the frustrated public speaker
Mr. Ailes does an outstanding job communicating how to leverage your own strengths to be an outstanding communicator. The book is joyful and entertaining to read and well deserved to be on any leaders reading list.

Create a Winner's Image
The message of this book is that you possess a degree of control over your destiny, over the image you chose to project. It is a book who points out the proactive stance that can be taken by anyone to make a positive difference in the way others perceive him or her.
Considering the author's vast experience in television, his comments about on-air appearance are worth special attention. He writes, "On radio and TV, your air of decisiveness (style/delivery) is as important as your substance (content/words). Be friendly, be brief, be direct, and be positive."
Commitment is often the missing ingredient in effectively conveying your message to other people. He notes, "Ordinary people become extraordinary communicators when they are fired up with commitment."
On the effective, tactful use of humor, he observes, "...humor is a way to take the sting our of almost anything and is used entirely too infrequently in the world."
In this easy-to-read, straightforward book, the principles of effective communication are described in such a way that they're easy to apply. To enhance your communication, read it.

Have You Had Your Belly Laugh Today?
Years ago I read this book just to increase my ability to communicate well, one-on-one.

And having grown from this book, I decided that it was time to enhance more of my ability to "Be Who I am."

While there is so much to say about this book, I'd like to share questions the authors often, regarding humor:
1. Who is your favorite comedian?
2. Who or what do you think is funny?
3. When was the last time you laughed outloud?
4. Have you ever made someone laugh? When?
5. Why was the situation funny, to you, and to that person?
6. Do you know any jokes, at all?
7. Do you remember any time in your life when you laughed uncontrollably? When?
8. Would your friends describe you as amusing in casual conversation?
9. Who is your funniest friend?
10.When was the last time others laughed at you, in a good natured way, and you were able to laugh along with them?

To truly answer these questions, and to write your answers down, will make a difference in every aspect of your life.

The world could use another belly laugh!

A powerful idea.
My college minor some 30 years ago was Speech. I have read some 10 books and many more articles about giving speeches. Roger Ailes book, first published in 1988, is the only one like it I have ever read. His advice is unique, and I believe, right on.

Instead of quirky gimmicks, Ailes starts with the factors that make a great speaker -- some of which will surpise you, and encourage you. The book is very readable with lots of anecdotes and great stories to illustrate his points.

In my consulting with political candidates I recommend it often. Considering this man's success in television and politics, I don't understand why this book is not more widely read and referenced. I consider it a "secret weapon". After all, this is the man who was a consultant to the man friend and foe alike called the great commuicator, Ronald Reagan. If you read it, you may be the only one you know who has. And then you will wonder, as I have, why more people have not read it. ... Read more

Book Description

Since the first edition of this landmark book was published in 1962, Everett Rogers's name has become "virtually synonymous with the study of diffusion of innovations," according to Choice. The second and third editions of Diffusion of Innovations became the standard textbook and reference on diffusion studies. Now, in the fourth edition, Rogers presents the culmination of more than thirty years of research that will set a new standard for analysis and inquiry.

The fourth edition is (1) a revision of the theoretical framework and the research evidence supporting this model of diffusion, and (2) a new intellectual venture, in that new concepts and new theoretical viewpoints are introduced. This edition differs from its predecessors in that it takes a much more critical stance in its review and synthesis of 5,000 diffusion publications. During the past thirty years or so, diffusion research has grown to be widely recognized, applied and admired, but it has also been subjected to both constructive and destructive criticism. This criticism is due in large part to the stereotyped and limited ways in which many diffusion scholars have defined the scope and method of their field of study. Rogers analyzes the limitations of previous diffusion studies, showing, for example, that the convergence model, by which participants create and share information to reach a mutual understanding, more accurately describes diffusion in most cases than the linear model.

Rogers provides an entirely new set of case examples, from the Balinese Water Temple to Nintendo videogames, that beautifully illustrate his expansive research, as well as a completely revised bibliography covering all relevant diffusion scholarship in the past decade. Most important, he discusses recent research and current topics, including social marketing, forecasting the rate of adoption, technology transfer, and more. This all-inclusive work will be essential reading for scholars and students in the fields of communications, marketing, geography, economic development, political science, sociology, and other related fields for generations to come. ... Read more

Reviews (13)

Packed With Knowledge!
Why would a villager draw polluted drinking water from a canal where a dead donkey floats instead of using a nearby tap to get clean drinking water? Why did it take hundreds of years for the British Navy to give sailors oranges and lemons when tests had proven that citrus fruit cured the scurvy that killed sailors and left vessels under-manned? Why do eminently sensible things not happen? If you've ever wondered, this book will give you the answers. It's a thick, heavy, academic tome, but spiced with abundant anecdotes and observations that make it an easy, enjoyable read. This is the rare book that combines solid intellectual content with thought-provoking entertainment. We highly recommend this classic from 1962 to all audiences, but especially those whose business it is to understand and use the social mechanisms through which innovations must diffuse.

great book for researchers
this is one of a kind book that researchers in sociology, psychology and business can use. great to be used in determining the audience impact, use of certain media, tools, ideas, etc. the model used is exactly an innovation that researchers can't resist in using. a new paradigm shift in research methodology. the book is full of illustrative stories to use in related literature of a study. E. Rogers is an excellent scholar. i give him a five star award for his innovation. From: Prof. Rudy P. Divino, DBA(cand)

Masterful Treatment
Well organized and full of relevant real-world case illustrations, this book is exceptionally well-done. Both educational and thoroughly entertaining. As complete as a textbook on the subject yet highly readable.

bleeahh.
Tedious psycho-babble, and a waste of time and money.

Narrowly Focused, But Very Solid
Professor Rogers begins his book by really getting to the heart of the matter. "Getting a new idea adopted, even when it has obvious advantages, is often very difficult," he writes. "Many innovations require a lengthy period, often many years, from the time they become available to the time they are widely adopted"

I have often wondered why getting new ideas adopted is so difficult, not only in business and technology, which is Professor Roger's primary area of research, but also in the arts, music, painting, and literature. It seems that whenever someone has a really innovative concept, it gets attacked, trashed, savaged, and often sabotaged by the mainstream? Why?

Professor Rogers never really answers this question, and this is my only complaint about an otherwise exceptional book. His primary interest is in figuring out ways to "speed up the rate of the diffusion of an innovation." Within a narrow context of business and policy objectives, he is successful. The strengths of this book are its very competent and exhaustive research, which include case studies, criticisms, and policy discussions. It is a worthy book if you are interested in the focused academic topics it attempts to address.

I thought that Malcolm Gladwell did a better job, with a much simpler book, in explaining why and how new ideas get introduced. Still, many questions remain to be answered about innovations. I'd love to read an equivalent book about innovations in the arts. If we are lucky, someone as competent and as thorough as Professor Rogers will take up the topic. ... Read more

Book Description

This self-directed program teaches readers to speak up and say what they mean at work and at home. Written supportively, it uses proven cognitive behavioral techniques to help individuals build self-confidence, set boundaries, and determine appropriate responses. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

A practical Book
This book was easy to read, easy to understand and very easy to apply immediately to life circumstances. I particularly found useful the chart of behaviors and the aspects of appearance very well written, vivid and clear. This book was full of accurate user friendly information that anyone would be able to apply in their lives whatever their circumstance or job. ... Read more

Book Description

Turn Any Presentation into a Landmark Occasion
Ever wish you could captivate your boardroom with the opening line of your presentation, like Winston Churchill in his most memorable speeches? Or want to command attention by looming larger than life before your audience, much like Abraham Lincoln when, standing erect and wearing a top hat, he towered over seven feet? Now, you can master presentation skills, wow your audience, and shoot up the corporate ladder by unlocking the secrets of history's greatest speakers. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

The Fundamentals
Red Auerbach used to teach his legendary Boston Celtics to stick to the fundamentals. This book is filled with help to make your speeches memorable. This book will add impact to your next talk whether in school, work or a one on one meeting. The author presumes a basic knowledge of speech construction. If you want help with that read Jack Valenti.

good, a bit conservative but good
definitely a very helpful and easy to read book. this guy has VERY obvious conservative leanings - his criticisms of democrats and drooling over republicans are a bit annoying. but if you can get past all that it's a handy guide to making one of life's chores more fun for you and your audience.

Wonderful Tool For Speakers
I expected a lot from this book and was still pleasantly surprised. James C. Humes is a very experienced speechwriter and speaker that takes the time to tell you some great secrets of public speaking.

The book goes through every aspect of speaking from opening to closing and beyond. Each section has many great ideas to take from it. There was no chapter that I did not walk away from saying, "That was a great idea!" When he makes a recommendatio